I have never been a NASCAR fan. For a guy who loves sports, I knew more about curling than I did NASCAR. I could never understand why watching cars making hundreds of laps was so popular.

Then I attended the 2014 Daytona 500 in Jacksonville, Florida courtesy of Lowe’s and my life changed. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve watched each of the ensuing races in Phoenix and Las Vegas, intently. We interviewed 21-year old rookie Kyle Larson since then and my respect for him, and the sport, is through the roof.

Prior to meeting Jimmie Johnson, I had no frame of reference for his level of success or how historically dominant he has been working alongside Crew Chief Chad Knaus.

It was only after someone aptly explained that Knaus is the Bill Belichick to Johnson’s Tom Brady (though they’ve been twice as successful in terms of championships) did I realize how much they’d accomplished as a team. Here’s Jimmie and I, laughing about our favorite recipes:

Degree Men deodorant launched “Clash of the Underdogs,” a series of brackets that place history’s favorite March Madness underdog victories against each other, and gives fans the chance to vote for the greatestof all time. Fans can visit www.DegreeBasketball.comand vote for their favorite NCAA March Madness “underdog moments,” and then register for the chance to win a trip to the 2015 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis.

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There’s been an unual amount of logic to the quarterback moves this offseason, with today’s moves making sense for both the Raiders and Jets.

The Raiders sent a late-round pick to the Texans for Matt Schaub, who is coming off one of those season where everything went wrong. We’ll see if he can turn things around in a place like Oakland, but that franchise is desperate for steady play at quarterback. If Schaub can return to form, then the team has a shot at improving quickly. If he’s a bust they have some young quarterbacks behind him, or they can even pick up someone like Mark Sanchez as well.

Speaking of Sanchez, he was just released by the Jets after they signed Micheal Vick, who has had plenty of ups and downs over the past several years. I would expect Vick to beat out Geno Smith for the starting job and give the Jets a spark on offense, but Smith is there in case Vick suffers his annual injury when he refuses to slide. It’s a good risk for the Jets.

My favorite QB move was the trade for Blaine Gabbert by the 49ers. Whether you love or hate Jim Harbaugh, you have to admit he gets the most out of his quarterbacks. Gabbert has been a mess on a crappy Jaguars team, but he has athletic ability and a decent arm. I’m guessing Harbaugh can salvage his career, and I know the 49ers want to hedge their bets as they face ridiculous contract demands from Colin Kaepernick. Cap has been a stud, but I’m not sure he’s the kind of superstar who deserves a monster contract.

I’m rooting for Josh McCowen to do well with his new opportunity in Tampa, and I respect Lovie Smith, but quarterbacks don’t exactly thrive on his football teams. I have no idea how this one is going to play out.

Finally, is anyone going to give Josh Freeman a chance? He may have ended his career with that miserable performance last year for Minnesota.

With the 2014 NFL Combine coming to an end, teams will have poked, prodded, questioned and scrutinised every last prospect. Some were under more pressure than others, with the eyes of the football world following some prospects more closely, especially those who are in contention to be taken number one overall.

The team that has the questionable honor of picking first in this year’s draft is the Houston Texans. After a, quite frankly, shocking 2013 season, in which many expected them to at least make a playoff game, the Texans will be looking to fix some of the issues that put them in this predicament. However, there really aren’t that many glaring issues for a team that just went 2-14, a result that no one saw coming. According to the expert handicapper providing free sports picks at sportsbettingsites.tv, Houston may be a favorite to bounce back with a strong draft.

New head coach Bill O’Brien comes in after steadying the ship at Penn State, replacing Gary Kubiak. His first job, and the Texans’ most obvious problem-position, will be to find a quarterback for the future. Matt Schaub has done a good job in Houston during his career, but that career is in decline. Young backup Case Keenum took over the job during the season, but did not do enough to steal the job permanently.

The Texans, despite having the league’s best defensive player in J.J. Watt, could also use some pass rush help. Watt has been consistently double and even triple-teamed recently, and a teammate to take the focus away could do wonders for the defence.

With these needs being the most glaring, who could Houston take number one overall?

Teddy Bridgewater: The Louisville quarterback has been talked about as a number one pick for the last couple of seasons, and is seen as the safest of all the quarterbacks at the next level. However, he can struggle with deep ball accuracy and, with a slight frame, there is a doubt as to if he can take the physical punishment that NFL defences can bring. Chance: B+

Johnny Manziel: The hometown favourite, Texas A&M’s star quarterback Johnny Football would excite fans. Known for making plays that defy logic, physics and his own coaches (see video), Manziel can get the job done. However, he is also undersized and comes with some off-field baggage. Chance: B-

Jadaveon Clowney: Once touted as the best pass rusher of his generation, Clowney failed to live up to the hype during his last season at South Carolina. After running a ridiculous 40 yard dash at the combine however, Clowney has revitalised some of the hype, making many ignore his supposed character red flags. One thing is true, if Clowney really is the real deal, these talents only come along so often. Chance: C+

It is difficult to see the Texans going elsewhere with their pick, with star players available at positions of need. However, draft day is always unpredictable, and a pick out of left field, or even a trade, could surprise us all.

What were you doing when you were 21 years old? For NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson, the answer is driving the #42 Target Chevrolet, going head to head with NASCAR legends like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart.

“Being only 21-years old, I get to race against a lot of guys who have been racing since I was a toddler,” said Larson regarding his rookie season. “It’s neat to race those guys, especially Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. It’s going to be a lot of fun, but hopefully I can beat them.”

Larson made his Sprint Cup Series debut in last week’s Daytona 500 and was slowed early on, finishing 38th. But he followed that up with a 20th place finish at Phoenix this past weekend.

A rookie hasn’t won a Sprint Cup race since Joey Logano in 2009. Then again, no rookie has been hailed by both Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart as a can’t-miss prospect.

The Elk Grove, California native has gone from being a local driver to a Sprint Cup driver in just two and a half years.